State Rep. Morrie Lanning will now chair the House State Government Finance Committee after concerns from other representatives caused Rep. Mark Buesgens to step down.

State Rep. Mark Buesgens has resigned as incoming chair of the State Government Finance Committee. In an email to incoming GOP House Speaker Kurt Zellers and incoming House Majority Leader Matt Dean, Buesgens cited opposition from unnamed colleagues to him assuming a leadership post.

Despite a strange incident that put state Rep. Tom Hackbarth at the Highland Park Planned Parenthood parking lot after hours with a loaded gun at his waistband, and a story about searching for an woman he met online that turned out to be inaccurate, the St. Paul City Attorney, Sara Grewing, said her office will not file charges against the eight-term Republican represenatative.

State Rep. Tom Hackbarth is not out of the woods yet. He faces possible criminal charges for inconsistencies in his story about why he was armed in a Planned Parenthood parking lot after hours.

After more than a week of intrigue, Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, has been chosen to lead the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee.

The Minnesota Vikings have had a disastrous season on the field. Just one year after nearly reaching the Super Bowl, and with virtually the same roster, the team inexplicably scuffled to a 3-7 record in its first 10 games. At this point it would take a miracle for the Vikings to qualify for the playoffs. Last week head coach Brad Childress was pushed off the plank in order to placate the angry Sunday afternoon faithful.

Rep. Tom Hackbarth has been removed from any leadership position within the House GOP caucus in the wake of a bizarre encounter with the St. Paul Police Department on November 16.

State Rep. Tom Hackbarth was stopped by police earlier this month in the Planned Parenthood parking lot in Highland Park after he was spotted with gun near his waistband, according to a story in the Star Tribune.

Republican state Rep. Tom Hackbarth proposes to expand gambling in Minnesota almost every year, but his bills have been repeatedly shot down by Democratic leaders in the Legislature and a Republican governor who was less than excited to see them on his desk.

House and Senate Republicans announced a slate of legislators to chair committees before taking off for a fly around of the state.